


Escape

by DianaSolaris



Category: The Doomspell Trilogy - Cliff McNish
Genre: Drabble, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 02:19:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14322402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DianaSolaris/pseuds/DianaSolaris
Summary: Hurt begets hurt begets hurt --but in it, sometimes, is respect, and something else, too. Something that makes Rachel's hair stand on end and all her spells rush up in vigilance and fear and a little bit of passion, too.The second fic ever for the Doomspell Trilogy, which needs to be read more, dang it.





	Escape

               The first time Rachel and Heiki are alone together since – well,  _since –_ they can’t quite look each in the eye. Rachel can’t stop thinking about Ciara – Heiki – in her arms; she can’t stop thinking about Heiki’s screams of pain, about the feeble, broken snake looped around her throat. The thoughts spin in her head, around and around until she feels like she’s going to fall over.

               She doesn’t realize she hasn’t spoken or even acknowledged Heiki’s presence in the room until a hand slides into hers, and she jumps at the contact, gaze rising to meet the other girl’s. Despite herself, her eyes swim blue with flying and shifting spells.  _Escape,_ they whisper.  _Escape._

               Heiki sees them, and even though Heiki’s eyes are blue all on their own, Rachel can see the same fear in them.  _What are we afraid of?_ Rachel wants to ask. The Witches are gone. Heebra is dead. The world has changed forever – and so has she, and so has Heiki. 

               Heiki’s hand is trembling. “I feel – different,” she whispers.

               “What’s wrong?” Rachel can hardly bear to look at her. It’s not fear. It’s not hate. It’s like looking in a mirror, or a deep pool, like watching all the dark and lonely and scared parts of herself swim up to meet her, and mixed in with all of that is something  _else,_ something she can’t name. There's power in its namelessness.

               “You scare me,” Heiki whispers. It takes so much effort to say. Rachel can see it. Heiki’s pride has suffered enough, and now she’s humbling herself to say out loud something they both already knew.

               Rachel stifles the cry, forces back the tears that want to form. “I’m sorry. I hurt you so badly – I’m sorry –“  _I would never have done it if I didn’t have a choice._

               “No,” Heiki interrupts. “I don’t mean – I mean –“ She leans closer, translucent lashes flickering over her eyes as her gaze fixes on Rachel’s face. “This scares me,” she whispers. And there's power in that, too.

               It’s Rachel, ultimately, who closes the gap between them. It’s Rachel who kisses Heiki’s lips, and when tears of relief start falling down the girl’s face, it’s Rachel who kisses them away, and holds her close, and tells her that there’s nothing to be afraid of - and it’s true. Deep inside her chest, her flight spells quiet down, and different spells, quiet spells, whisper,  _Stay._


End file.
